Specifically trainers who are on staff at a commercial gyms.
I recently joined such a gym and one of the trainers called to offer me a complimentary session. I assume she’s trying to build up her clientele. I think that’s fine, but I doubt she’s going to hook me as a client - my main interest is the olympic lifts and what are the odds? Anyway, do I tip, or not?
No.
ive been tipped but i wouldnt call it standard practice - if they offer free sessions have a go
they might teach u all kinds of stuff like dynaband curls , swiss ball throws , bosu lunges with 1 kg dumbells !
seriously though , why not give it a bash - if u dont like it u are under no obligation to buy further sessions
[quote]marza wrote:
Specifically trainers who are on staff at a commercial gyms.
I recently joined such a gym and one of the trainers called to offer me a complimentary session. I assume she’s trying to build up her clientele. I think that’s fine, but I doubt she’s going to hook me as a client - my main interest is the olympic lifts and what are the odds? Anyway, do I tip, or not?[/quote]
Yes.
Tip: “Don’t train people for free you freaking idiot”
[/tip]
[quote]arsefluff wrote:
ive been tipped but i wouldnt call it standard practice [/quote]
I called that “a booty call”. But “tipped” actually sounds pretty damn cool.
I usually tell them they need to do more deadlifts and squats.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
marza wrote:
Specifically trainers who are on staff at a commercial gyms.
I recently joined such a gym and one of the trainers called to offer me a complimentary session. I assume she’s trying to build up her clientele. I think that’s fine, but I doubt she’s going to hook me as a client - my main interest is the olympic lifts and what are the odds? Anyway, do I tip, or not?
Yes.
Tip: “Don’t train people for free you freaking idiot”
[/tip][/quote]
Yeah… offering things for free to entice them into buying your product or service is so idiotic. Those damn credit card companies must not make any money!
4 of my clients I’ve picked up started from a single free session, two of which were not interested in personal training at the least. If you do a good job the first time around they will come back.
The shortest period I had with any of them was 3 months, the other 3 still train with me.
That being said you should probably skip the free session. If you’ve been lifting for a while and have decent progress there is very little she could offer you. I’m going to go out on a rope and say that she probably can’t help you much with over head liftin either. Not because she’s a women, because of the 5 trainers in my gym I am by far the only one who knows how to demonstrate and train proper technique for that. You are going to be hard pressed to find someone who can teach you that in a commercial gym. Come to think of it, you’d be hard pressed to find a commercial gym that even allows it!
[quote]marza wrote:
Specifically trainers who are on staff at a commercial gyms.
I recently joined such a gym and one of the trainers called to offer me a complimentary session. I assume she’s trying to build up her clientele. I think that’s fine, but I doubt she’s going to hook me as a client - my main interest is the olympic lifts and what are the odds? Anyway, do I tip, or not?[/quote]
Depends on the gym but it could be considered paying the trainer “under the table” which really isn’t your concern, the trainer should let you know. But sure give it a go–what do you have to lose? if it sucks and they don’t have a clue about olympic lifting move on. And to prof x it’s pretty obvious you’ve never worked as a personal trainer–or selling in general.
[quote]timmwwaa wrote:
marza wrote:
Specifically trainers who are on staff at a commercial gyms.
I recently joined such a gym and one of the trainers called to offer me a complimentary session. I assume she’s trying to build up her clientele. I think that’s fine, but I doubt she’s going to hook me as a client - my main interest is the olympic lifts and what are the odds? Anyway, do I tip, or not?
Depends on the gym but it could be considered paying the trainer “under the table” which really isn’t your concern, the trainer should let you know. But sure give it a go–what do you have to lose? if it sucks and they don’t have a clue about olympic lifting move on. And to prof x it’s pretty obvious you’ve never worked as a personal trainer–or selling in general.[/quote]
Actually, I have, jackass, and you need to learn to take a joke.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
Actually, I have, jackass, and you need to learn to take a joke.[/quote]
How many years of psychiatry did your trainees need to fully recover their self-esteem?
thats how all the gyms work now. you get a trainer “orientation” where the trainer shows you around the gym and all that good stuff. then they offer you a free session. during that free session, they try to market the training packages. im going out on a limb here and saying that we are talking about a Golds Gym? because that is exactly how they do it here.
they do it at 25 hour fatness too, i see it all the time
[quote]pookie wrote:
Professor X wrote:
Actually, I have, jackass, and you need to learn to take a joke.
How many years of psychiatry did your trainees need to fully recover their self-esteem?
[/quote]
2 and a few weekend follow ups.
[quote]pookie wrote:
Professor X wrote:
Actually, I have, jackass, and you need to learn to take a joke.
How many years of psychiatry did your trainees need to fully recover their self-esteem?
[/quote]
LOL!
You know, Prof, you could save some energy if you just posted your resume as your avatar. It’d save some of these guys some time and humiliation. First you’re not a doctor (on some other thread), now you were never a trainer. Nice. (Note to noobs - If Professor X makes you eat your words, it does not count as a bulking meal.)
Anywho…to the original question, first of all, I’d be surprised if the free session he was offering you wasn’t already included in the cost of your membership. I haven’t worked at a gym yet that didn’t offer at least a half-hour session for new members. So, he was probably just offering you something you were getting anyway.
As to the tipping, it’s greatly appreciated, but no, it’s certainly not required, nor expected. And anyway, what would the logic behind it be? If I tip a waiter an above-average amount, I’d like to think he’d remember it and reciprocate with high-level service on my next visit. How can a trainer show gratitude for a tip, one less set of squats?
[quote]Minotaur wrote:
You know, Prof, you could save some energy if you just posted your resume as your avatar. It’d save some of these guys some time and humiliation. First you’re not a doctor (on some other thread), now you were never a trainer. Nice. (Note to noobs - If Professor X makes you eat your words, it does not count as a bulking meal.)
Anywho…to the original question, first of all, I’d be surprised if the free session he was offering you wasn’t already included in the cost of your membership. I haven’t worked at a gym yet that didn’t offer at least a half-hour session for new members. So, he was probably just offering you something you were getting anyway.
As to the tipping, it’s greatly appreciated, but no, it’s certainly not required, nor expected. And anyway, what would the logic behind it be? If I tip a waiter an above-average amount, I’d like to think he’d remember it and reciprocate with high-level service on my next visit. How can a trainer show gratitude for a tip, one less set of squats?[/quote]
Was this a call out? I am past worrying about what anyone wants to believe. I do, however, take comfort in being exactly what I say I am and you finding that so hard to fathom. Have a good one.
No, you don’t need to tip the trainer for the free session, although I am sure they would appreciate it is very rare. If you are into the Olympic lifts simply ask the person over the phone if they have any knowledge of those lifts and if not if they can refer you to someone that does.
Normally you tip a trainer during the holiday season or when you have finished training with them (completely), if you had a particularly good experience.
The trainers take the newbies around at my gym too.
And the trainers all suck, they do the same program for every person everytime.
I love watching them make people do One Leg Standing Bosso Ball] shoulder presses. Really works their core. lol.
And when the trainers work out themselves if you can call it that they do stuff like:
Standing One-leg One-shoulder lateral raises!
Seriously stand up on one leg and imagine doing lateral raises with a dumbell in one hand.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
Minotaur wrote:
You know, Prof, you could save some energy if you just posted your resume as your avatar. It’d save some of these guys some time and humiliation. First you’re not a doctor (on some other thread), now you were never a trainer. Nice. (Note to noobs - If Professor X makes you eat your words, it does not count as a bulking meal.)
Was this a call out? I am past worrying about what anyone wants to believe. I do, however, take comfort in being exactly what I say I am and you finding that so hard to fathom. Have a good one.[/quote]
No, no, no. No call out at all. I just enjoy when Person #1 says “Hey man, you don’t know what you’re talking about, because you’re not even a [fill in the blank].” And Person #2 can legitimately say “Actually, I am a [fill in the blank]. So stick that in your cap and spin.” The fact that it’s happened twice to you recently is just a reminder of internet bravery being overcome by conversation-ownage at its finest. Follow?
In any case, yeah, it doesn’t warrant any more attention than it’s already stolen from the topic at hand.
How can you even say something like that, Minotaur? Have you ever even been on the T-Nation website? Have you ever read any of the articles or posted to any of the threads? Obviously NOT!!